This image released by FX shows Corey Stoll, right, in a scene from the new series "The Strain," premiering July 13. The vampire thriller begins when a mysterious viral outbreak spreads to New York. Stoll stars as the head of a Centers for Disease Control task force battling this global threat. (AP Photo/FX, Michael Gibson) less

This image released by FX shows Corey Stoll, right, in a scene from the new series "The Strain," premiering July 13. The vampire thriller begins when a mysterious viral outbreak spreads to New York. Stoll stars ... more

Photo: Michael Gibson, HOEP

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Vampires go viral in “The Strain”

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The vampire has never been my creature of choice.

I like my monsters hideous and horrifying — and Dracula, with his seductive gaze and dashing cape, never quite cut it in the scare department. Even his fangs were kind of sexy, causing his female victims to swoon beneath the hungry puncturing of their throats.

As time wore on, it only got worse. The neck-biters of “Twilight,” “True Blood” and “The Vampire Diaries” were much more dreamy than nightmarish; they were heartthrobs, not heart-stoppers.

So imagine my surprise — and delight — when finally a bloodsucker came along that was none of the above.

In “The Strain,” which debuts at 9 p.m. Sunday on FX, the vampires are vile, giant-tongued, soft-mouthed things of the scream-in-your-sleep variety.

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Del Toro, best known for his dark fantasies on the big screen (“Pan's Labyrinth,” “Hellboy”), now brings his trademark eerie vision to television. He not only penned the pilot with Hogan but also directed the first episode and is overseeing the show's special effects.

“The Strain” starts out chillingly quiet. A plane lands in New York City with no signs of movement onboard. Suspecting that some sort of viral infection has left the passengers and crew ill or dead, authorities seek the help of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

When Dr. Ephraim Goodweather (Corey Stoll) and his team of viral experts go aboard to investigate, they find four passengers still alive; the rest of the 210 people are dead from a bizarre infestation that Ephraim and his colleagues, Nora Martinez (Mia Maestro, “The Motorcycle Diaries”) and Jim Kent (Sean Astin, “The Lord of the Rings” trilogy), can't figure out.

Making matters even more mysterious is the discovery of a large wooden crate — filled with dirt and wormlike creatures — in the plane's cargo hold. A coffin, maybe?

At least that's how an aged pawnshop owner named Abraham Setrakian (David Bradley, “Harry Potter”) describes it when he rushes to the airport, ancient sword in hand, and confronts the CDC. He urges Ephraim and his team to keep the crate under lock and key so as not to lose control of the “Master.”

It soon becomes clear that Abraham has had dealings with a similar strain of vampirism before as a mere boy in a Nazi concentration camp. He even keeps a ravenous souvenir in the back of his shop.

Meanwhile, a sinister duo — a wealthy but sickly businessman (Jonathan Hyde) and his creepy cohort (Richard Sammel) — survey the city from a penthouse window, eager for what they refer to as massive world change just around the corner.

As the threat spreads, the suspense grows, leaving us gripping our chairs and afraid of what grisly atrocity might happen next.

Another plus of this terror tale is its multilayered characterizations — particularly those of Ephraim and Abraham, whose faults are as intriguing as their strengths.

Eph, as he's affectionately called, gets A's at his job but is flunking his personal life. He wants to repair his broken marriage or, at the very least, win joint custody of his young son. But neither is likely to happen — at least not anytime soon — as his wife feels he's “barely present” with his family, and his son thinks the world needs his dad more than he does.

He's correct; Eph soon will be needed more than ever as humankind teeters on the brink of extinction.

As for Abraham, his intent to beat the beast singlehandedly may be heroic, but we can't help but wonder if that's wise, considering his 80-plus years and his personal hatred of the “Master.”

Making both figures even more compelling are the marvelous actors who portray them. Stoll, who was so memorable as tragic Congressman Peter Russo in “House of Cards,” strikes just the right balance here as a man hurting from personal loss but also determined to identify and stop this deadly virus.

Bradley, who is in his 70s, is relishing one meaty role after another these days (including as the first Doctor Who in “An Adventure in Space and Time” and a heart-wrenching role in “Broadchurch”) all but steals the spotlight as the gruff, vengeful but commanding Abraham in this must-see series for horror lovers.

Jeanne Jakle's column appears Wednesdays and Sundays in mySA, and she blogs at Jakle's Jacuzzi on mySA.com. Email her at jjakle@express-news.net.